Mr. Ed Murray, pictured on right, gave inspirational remarks at the opening of the second day of meetings. Mr. Murray served as chair of the DCSS Board of Education for 12 years. The Murray Educational Center on Hwy. 5 is named in honor of Mr. Murray and his wife, Dr. Mary Sue Murray. Superintendent North is also pictured.

Approximately 160 leaders in the Douglas County School System spent two days preparing for the 2017-2018 school year. The meetings, held on July 19 and 20, included principals, assistant principals, and central office personnel.

For many school level administrators, the meetings provided the first opportunity to become familiar with Superintendent Trent North, who began working for the school system on June 1. The theme for July 19 was “Why Instructional Leadership and Management?” The theme for the second day was “School Improvement” and included review of student achievement data for the system and individual schools and ideas on improvement.

Mr. North emphasized his goal of ensuring equity in all schools across the district. “As a school district, Douglas County can’t be great unless all schools are great,” said Mr. North. “We are a family, and I expect all of us to work together to give students at all schools exceptional opportunities to achieve in academics, athletics, and in the arts.”

Several local businesses and organizations donated meals or facilities for the meetings, including Central Baptist Church; Foxhall Resort and Sporting Club; MembersFirst Credit Union; and Public Education Trust (PET).